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Wudu Step by Step — The Dawoodi Bohra (Fatimid) Method

كيفية الوضوء — الطريقة الفاطمية
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A clear, practical walk-through of wudu (ablution) as performed in the Dawoodi Bohra (Tayyibi Ismaili, Fatimid) tradition, drawn from the teaching of Da'a'im al-Islam and codified in the community Mansak. Wudu is the purification required before namaz and other acts of worship. You begin with niyyat (intention), then wash the hands, rinse the mouth (madmada) and draw water into the nose (istinshaq), wash the face, wash the arms up to and including the elbows, perform masah (wiping) of the head, and then WASH the feet up to the ankles — a defining feature of the Bohra method, which does not permit wiping over socks. The Quran sets out the core of wudu in sura al-Ma'idah (5:6). Throughout, the limbs are washed in order, and one is taught to use water with moderation rather than waste. This guide is a study aid; for the exact wording, sequence and finer details always follow your community Mansak and confirm with your aamil saheb.

What Wudu Is and How to Begin

Wudu is the ritual ablution that prepares you for namaz, for touching and reciting the Quran, for tawaf, and for other acts of worship. The Quran lays out its essentials in sura al-Ma’idah: ‘O you who believe, when you rise to pray, wash your faces and your hands up to the elbows, and wipe your heads, and your feet up to the ankles’ (5:6).

Before you start, make sure the water is clean (tahir) and that nothing on your skin (such as paint or thick polish) blocks the water from reaching it. Then:

  1. Niyyat (intention). Form the intention in your heart that you are performing wudu to draw near to Allah and to make yourself pure for worship. The niyyat is what turns an ordinary wash into an act of ibadat.

  2. Wash the hands. Wash both hands, including the wrists, so they are clean before they carry water to the other limbs.

The Washing, in Order

The limbs of wudu are done in a fixed sequence (tartib). Follow it carefully:

  1. Madmada (rinsing the mouth). Take water into the mouth and rinse it.

  2. Istinshaq (rinsing the nose). Draw a little water into the nostrils and clear it out.

  3. Wash the face. Wash the whole face once it is covered with water — from the forehead down to the chin, and across from ear to ear.

  4. Wash the arms to the elbows. Wash the right arm from the fingertips up to and including the elbow, then the left arm the same way. The elbows are included in the washing.

  5. Masah of the head. Wipe (masah) over the head with a wet hand. This is a wiping, not a full washing.

  6. Wash the feet to the ankles. Wash the right foot, then the left, up to and including the ankles. In the Dawoodi Bohra (Fatimid) method the feet are washed — Bohras do not wipe over socks or footwear in place of washing.

Throughout, use water with moderation: enough to cover and clean each limb, without waste. Keeping the order and washing each part properly is what makes the wudu valid.

Keeping Your Wudu and Confirming the Method

Once complete, your wudu remains valid until something invalidates it (see the related guide on what breaks wudu). It is good to remain mindful and to renew wudu when needed before each prayer time.

A few practical notes: wash gently but completely, make sure water actually reaches the skin and between the fingers and toes, and do the limbs without long, unnecessary gaps between them.

Please remember that this guide is a study aid, not a substitute for direct instruction. The authoritative method — the exact niyyat, wording, sequence and finer points — is the community Mansak. For anything you are unsure about, follow the Mansak and confirm the details with your aamil saheb.

See also: What Invalidates Wudu, Ghusl Step By Step, Tayammum Step By Step, Niyyat Of Salat

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